How to train for hours every day?

[jg1647]

I see most training and nutrition plans are meant for people who spend an hour in the gym every day, but is it ok to workout for 3 hours every day? What would a typical 3 hour gym session involve? What kind of meal plan would suit one who spends this amount of time in the gym?

[Cuhh]

I also would like to know. I lift for almost 3 hours a day. I went to this other gym awhile back to look at their equipment and while one of the personal trainers was trying to sell me a membership he told me I shouldn't lift for that long because HE could get me in just as good as shape lifting for only 90minutes max. I don't know if that's true or if he was just trying to sell a membership...

[audieswu]

Fellas, I only train for an hour and a half a day or even less. When you lift heavy and do supersets of compound/iso with minimum rest pauses you can finished your workout in half the time. For cardio, a good 5X a week of 20 mins. of HIIT will be sufficient. This will result to boost your metabolism but also a MUST in all of this is eating clean and on a caloric deficit if you are cutting.

I used to lift when I was younger for 2 1/2 - 3 hours but I was overtraining and took more rest that I would like too. A 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour is plenty enough and this includes a cardio session. Plan your sessions, execute them, log them and repeat the next day.

[CornFed66]

me and my best friend back home could spend all day in the gym doing every workout. the most time we have ever spent though was 4.5 hrs. i think i went through 3-4 shakes during so all of it would pay off. i took off sunday and monday though.

[cbezz]

me and my best friend back home could spend all day in the gym doing every workout. the most time we have ever spent though was 4.5 hrs. i think i went through 3-4 shakes during so all of it would pay off. i took off sunday and monday though.

4.5 hours is insane, how can you go for so long? You must have been talking and getting distracted heaps?
In response to the general comments of the thread I also spend around 2 hours in the gym, however I can be done in an hour, but that requires me to train differently (its usually much more intense and involves super sets and less time in between sets, etc, etc)

In response to the OP; I don't think the meal plans would be any different, just perhaps try and make sure you eat closely before and after working out (if needed have a shake, somewhere around the time of training (pre, during or post workout))
In terms of training, going for this long usually suggests a lot of exercises, a fair amount of rest between sets, and most importantly usually working more than one muscle group.

Go to the gym for a while and you will find your own answers to your own questions. However, from my experience above is what I have found, no doubt others will have varying answers, and possibly drastically different too.

[tgspeedracer]

unless you wanna be a marathon runner or are doing very light weights. you only wanna be sore for a day, a one hour workout can do that

[Pepsi88]

3hours?.... are you guys serious?

45mins-1 hour is what most body builders swear by. maybe 1.5 hours if you like. but anything over that is muscle wasting.

weightlifting is supposed to be short and intense. its about burts of reps followed by rest between each set (1-2 mintues)

[audieswu]

3hours?.... are you guys serious?

45mins-1 hour is what most body builders swear by. maybe 1.5 hours if you like. but anything over that is muscle wasting.

weightlifting is supposed to be short and intense. its about burts of reps followed by rest between each set (1-2 mintues)

Agreed, just like my previous post 1.5 hours tops that includes a cardio session. I don't even rest in between each set but every other set since I'm doing circuit/supersets.

[Ripht]

Rest is just as important as working out, going at it 3 hours everyday would absolutly kill me. I go 3 times a week for 1 hour and i'm happy with my strength and size gains.

[midniteOG]

no.. talk about over training... i spend 2 hours in the gym, but thats b/c i usually take a while to warm up.... so its more like 1.5 hours of lifting or so..

but your body needs a chance to recover. recovery is what builds the muscle. and you dont want to injure yourself.. rest is key

[Bleachway]

a workout should be like 30mins - 1 hour or even atleast 1 and a half hour tops, nothing more

[MAGnitude]

people in the gym spend more time talking to their friends/workout partners or looking at themsleves in the mirror. a weight session that takes me normally 40-50mins, would normally take these guys 2+ hours.

cardio is different, doing 30 mins on a treadmill is obviously ganna take 30 mins

[geoff.lu]

if you can lift for more then 60min.. it means your intensity is not high enough... ie "5lb curl"... lol

[rockangel]

I typically spend 2 - 3 hours a day in the gym. BReak down is usually like this:

warm up -15 mins
weight lifting 30 - 45 minutes
Cardio 20-30 minutes
and i usually then take a class for 1 - 2 hours depending on day/type of class
have had great results with this, not over training, and energy is through the roof!
Meal plan is sensible, low fat, decent calories, and works for me.
Though I am pretty intense and have the time to obesess over this kind of thing.

[moonshinebabe33]

I typically spend 2 - 3 hours a day in the gym. BReak down is usually like this:

warm up -15 mins
weight lifting 30 - 45 minutes
Cardio 20-30 minutes
and i usually then take a class for 1 - 2 hours depending on day/type of class
have had great results with this, not over training, and energy is through the roof!
Meal plan is sensible, low fat, decent calories, and works for me.
Though I am pretty intense and have the time to obesess over this kind of thing.

My God this sounds like me and I worry that Im overtraining!

[honda954racer03]

I spend 1 hour lifting, super set every thing. Start heavy but when I finish I cant lift 5 pounds hardly. Then do 1 hour on the bike then 1 hour swimming laps. Have had great success with this workout along with a good diet. Its made me bigger but also just built. I think the cardio and diet aspects are huge. Oh and all the exercising is non stop. When you are lifting switch back and forth between two muscle groups to recover for each set. I try to do each set 50-100 reps. The only break is putting on a swim suit.

[Backtothestack]

people in the gym spend more time talking to their friends/workout partners or looking at themsleves in the mirror. a weight session that takes me normally 40-50mins, would normally take these guys 2+ hours.

cardio is different, doing 30 mins on a treadmill is obviously ganna take 30 mins

haha ill spend a good 10-15 min throughout my routine flexing and making love to the mirror, I earned it and it helps the fascia. bam

[Fit_4Life]

3 hours in the gym?! have you lost your mind? unless your on steroids you will be doing moreharm then good..have you ever herd of the word "Catabolism"??? i recommened 45 min TOPS for any weights...
for cardio do 15 mins of intervals...

[snik66]

yeah and its not really good for your general health 3 hours lol my uncle got a heart problem and his joints are worse than most .
i dont even mix cardio say if i did a cut on weights day ill do it a sep day

[MK2004]

Bodybuilding's not just about being in the gym. Neglect any of the three points (Diet, training and rest) and you're not bodybuilding. 3 hours is way too long. A workout focused on basic compound movements should only last around an hour.

[selffirst]

Personally...I change up my lifting and cardio routine.....Right now I do a 5 day split about an hour's worth.....and I have started to run outside at a park I live near...this has been the best decision in my life...I'm gettin so into the running...I used to run 5k's years ago but stopped...I'm findin how much I missed and loved it....I guess I'm sayin whatever you do ...change things up...that way exercise boredom is less of a problem...cheers

[spin360]

Bodybuilding's not just about being in the gym. Neglect any of the three points (Diet, training and rest) and you're not bodybuilding. 3 hours is way too long. A workout focused on basic compound movements should only last around an hour.

^^ this. The point of lifting weights is to break down your muscle. You actually build muscle when you rest! If the "weight lifting" part of your time in the gym exceeds an hour to hour and a half, you're not training efficiently.